Changing the Devil
by IShipYouWithMe
Summary: Hayffie. What happens between Effie and Haymitch when Katniss and Peeta actually do eat the nightlock? Romance, friendship, hurt/comfort, tragedy and humour. Enjoy, review, and may the odds be ever in your favour!
1. Changing the Devil

"Haymitch, I'm fed up!" Effie Trinket yelled.

Haymitch said nothing. He just lay there, on the sofa, watching TV although it was off - just a dull black.

"HAYMITCH!" Effie screamed for the final time, before giving in, and perching gingerly at the end of the enlongated sofa, her head keeled over into her lap. A good ten minutes passed until she spoke again, breaking the tense silence filling the air.

Effie cleared her breath. "I understand you're upset about Katniss and Peeta, we all are, but there's no need for you to be so..so...depressing! This happens every year!" Although she said it, she didn't mean it. She had to fight to swallow down her tears.

He looked over at Effie, taking his eyes from the blank screen for just a moment. He gazed at her face, that manufactured, Capitol-perfected face. Her ridiculous wig towering way higher than it should. He wondered what was underneath there. Then he spoke.

"You just don't get it, do you Eff?" Haymitch cruelly spat. "They'll be after us. **They ate the nightlock, Effie! **I'm their mentor! **You're their escort! **According to them, we're the ones to blame!"  
>"Of course not! I perish the thought. They'll sort it. Just you see!" Yet she knew inside it was true.<p>

The next thing he said hurt the most.

"Effie, sweetheart," Haymitch paused. "Are you stupid?"  
>"THAT IS IT, HAYMITCH ABERNATHY. I AM LEAVING AND SHALL NOT RETURN UNTIL YOU LEARN HOW TO SPEAK TO A LADY." Effie shouted, her throat burning, her eyes stinging and flaming up.<p>

Haymitch got up, and strolled over to her, who was now standing by the door, her hand on the doorknob, her head turned to face him.

"You're not a lady. You're a child." He growled raspily.

Effie let a tear escape her right eye, sniffed, and slammed the door. Haymitch wasted no time opening it back up and calling after her.

"EFF, WAIT!"

It was no use. She'd already gone. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily.


	2. Bittersweet

It wasn't long until Effie returned. A few hours, perhaps, but I stayed awake, listening, and waiting for her all the same. I peeked at her through one eye and watched what she did. She marched in, back straight, head held high, but her eyes were puffy and red. She'd been crying. Probably over Katniss and Peeta, and what was going to happen to us both. It wasn't what I had said, was it? I know Effie - she was a strong and smart woman (when she wanted to be, mind you), who would never get upset over a petty comment. But what if it wasn't petty? I tried to recall what I had said to her, but the drink can hurt a man's memory.

First, she kicked off her massive gold heels - angrily, almost. I saw how short she was and grinned a little. It was cute. Next, she pulled off her even bigger wig. It was ginormous on the tiny Effie without giant, glamorous shoes on. Where her wig had been, there was a neat, little blonde round bun of hair. "Trust her," I thought to myself, "Even if nobody's going to see her real hair, she still has to have it all prim and proper." Then Effie made her way to the bathroom and I could see that she was removing all her makeup.

She tottered back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, entering various different rooms and doing various different things until she was done, and came back into the lounge again, where I was lying on the sofa. She looked beautiful. Her hair up in a classy bun, natural face, and she wore a baby pink silk tank top and matching silk pajama bottoms. My mouth and body started moving before my brain started thinking.

I sat up and looked at Effie. "You know, sweetheart, you're so pretty when you haven't got all your Capitol gunk on."

Effie jumped and stared at me, her mouth revelling into an all-too familiar o shape. "Haymitch! It's bad manners not to announce your presence!" she scolded me.

"And there it is, princess. You looking all so beautiful but your trap ruins it. Sometimes you need to just loosen yer corset and have a drink, hmm?" I slurred.

"You know, Haymitch, I still haven't forgiven you about what you said to me. Your words can be hurtful." Effie sulked, her eyes pricking up once again.

I sighed. I seemed to be doing a lot of sighing. "I'm sorry Eff, half the time, I don't mean what I say. It's just the drink, you know that."

I got up and put my arm around her, pulling her close and breathing in her sweet scent. She rested her head on my chest. And it felt nice.

"I never thought I'd be caressing you, Effie Trinket." I grinned, and touched my hand to her hair.

"I could say the same, Haymitch Abernathy." She smiled in her thick Capitol accent. It made me laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Effie demanded, pushing her hands on her hips. It made me laugh even harder at how tiny she was, with her hands on her hips like that.

"Oh it's nothing." I said, returning back to usual, staying cool. "I do like you, Effie." I punched her playfully on the arm.

"The feeling's mutual." She replied. "Now don't punch me like that!" She joked, walking off into her room.

"Whyever not?" I called out.

"Because I'm only little." Effie snorted.

"Tiny!" I chuckled, and went off to my room.

We were playing Happy Families, and it was fun. But I don't think Effie truly had any idea what kind of danger we were in.


End file.
